The State University of Campinas (Unicamp) is part of the international network Global Labour University (GLU), a global academic initiative focused on the study of labor, trade unionism, and development policies. The Master's program offered by Unicamp is taught in English and is linked to the Postgraduate Program in Economic Development, in the area of Social and Labor Economics, of the Institute of Economics.
The GLU aims to strengthen the strategic thinking capacity of workers' organizations and deepen cooperation between trade unions, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the academic community. The initiative seeks to contribute to the promotion of social justice and decent work, both nationally and internationally.
The network offers educational programs focused on themes such as economic development, inequality, poverty, multinational corporate strategies, labor relations, public policies, and unionism, in addition to short courses and online training initiatives. The Unicamp master's program lasts 18 months, starting in March, and includes coursework, research activities, and the preparation of a dissertation.
The partnership between Unicamp and GLU began in 2003 through the Center for Trade Union and Labor Economics Studies (CESIT). The "Social Economy and Labour" master's program was later implemented as part of GLU's global network, taught by faculty from the Institute of Economics, with the participation of guest professors from Brazilian universities and research institutes, as well as international partner institutions.
Over 18 editions, between 2008 and 2025, the program received 97 students, 55 men and 42 women, from 39 countries and four continents, consolidating itself as a strategic initiative for the internationalization of Unicamp and for global training in labor economics and development.
